BEIRUT – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and its partner INTERSOS, today handed-over 162 solar panels installed in the “Saab” well in Choueifat, Aley, to enhance water supply to the neighborhoods of Choueifat el Qobbeh and Choueifat el Oumara. Thanks to this intervention, around 40,000 Lebanese residents and 5,000 Syrian refugees residing in the area now have sustained access to safe water.
Choueifat is one of the most vulnerable municipalities in the Aley district and hosts more than 500,000 Lebanese and 39,000 Syrian refugees. As a result of the energy crisis in Lebanon, the entire area faced a severe water shortage in recent months. Consequently, families’ dependency on water trucking has increased, adding to their already high financial burdens and increasing the risks of outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the area.
“This project reflects UNHCR’s broader commitment to supporting communities across Lebanon and demonstrates the positive change that can be achieved through collective action,” said Frederic Cussigh, UNHCR Head of Office in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. “We are pleased that our partnership with the municipality of Choueifat, in consultation with the Water Establishment, resulted in mitigating the burden of buying domestic water for both the host community and refugees.”
The installation of solar panels in the “Saab” well, operated by the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment, provides a sustainable solution to the energy crisis and ensures enhanced and environmentally friendly access to safe water. The project also reduces costs relating to water for both families and the municipality, which is now saving over USD 28,000 yearly.
“This project has provided clean water for around 40,000 residents of Choueifat. It contributes to alleviating the burden on citizens in light of these difficult economic and living conditions,” said the deputy mayor of Choueifat, Mr. Chedid Hanna. He added: “Choueifat Municipality is working hard and with limited capacities to secure its population’s needs, especially the most essential ones such as water, which is vital. We appreciate the role played by UNHCR in supporting Lebanese communities and helping develop local infrastructure to continue providing essential services. We hope that this cooperation between the Choueifat Municipality and UNHCR continues, leading to other projects in the near future.”
This project is one of many UNHCR interventions that aim to provide solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis and that are having a positive impact on people across Lebanon. In 2022 and 2023, over 500,000 individuals, Lebanese and refugees, benefited from UNHCR projects in the Beirut and Mount Lebanon regions alone.
Throughout 2022, UNHCR and partners have implemented innovative solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis through over 74 community support projects. These projects have increased Lebanese and refugees’ access to sustainable energy by providing solar-powered electricity to primary healthcare centres, governmental hospitals, water establishment stations and streetlights, benefiting over 1.5 million persons in more than 84 villages across the country.
UNHCR has been supporting Lebanese institutions and communities since 2011, including 655 community support projects to upgrade public infrastructure in towns and villages across Lebanon.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
In Lebanon: Paula Barrachina, [email protected]
In Lebanon: Lisa Abou Khaled, [email protected]
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